Vehicle hits house at Kiata

A utility towing a trailer loaded with greyhounds, including three Adelaide Cup finalists, crashed into a house at Kiata in the early hours of Friday morning.

Senior Constable Karyleen Hateley of Nhill police said two men were travelling easterly towards Horsham along the Western Highway about 3.45am when their vehicle crossed onto the opposite side of the road and crashed into a house.

She said police units from Nhill and Horsham as well as SES, CFA and ambulance crews attended the crash.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said one of the men was transported to Wimmera Base Hospital with shoulder and side injuries.

The other man escaped serious injury.

In the trailer were greyhounds Heston Bale, Spud Regis, Lektra Ottens and Big Black Mac from the Dailly kennel at Anakie near Geelong. Big Black Mac was killed in the crash. The dogs were due to compete in the $75,000 Adelaide Cup final on Thursday.

The incident occurred as the men were travelling back to the Anakie base after the heats of the Group 1 event at Angle Park on Thursday night.

National Greyhound Form's Mark Pearson said Big Black Mac had won on both Melbourne tracks and had six wins from 11 starts.

He said the other two greyhounds were in doubt for the Adelaide Cup final. "If the other two dogs are not sound they will not start," he said.

Senior Constable Hateley said there was substantial damage to the vehicle and damage to one wall of the house. "The two occupants of the house were uninjured," she said. "We are not sure if any charges will be laid against the driver."

The Australian Racing Greyhound website reported at the weekend that Lektra Ottens, a 34-kilogram fawn dog, was still missing in the Nhill area after the crash.